Improvement in railroad-car ventilators



N. PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WSHINGTON. D. CA

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SILAS MERRICK, OF NEW BRIGHTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILROAD-CAR VENTILATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 38,691, dated May 26, 1863.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Sims MEERICK, of New Brighton, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ventilators for Railroad-Cars, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference bein glhad to the accompan yin g drawings, which make part of this specification, and in which- Figure l represents a view in perspective of one of my improved ventilators detached from the car; and Fig. 2 a horizontal section through the same at the line x .r of Fig. 1 the black lines representing the position occupied by the movable parts of the ventilator when the car is moving one way, and the red lines the position they assume when the movement of the car is reversed.

It is the object of my invention to provide a self-acting ventilator which will expel the foul air from a car no matter in what direction it may be moving, and to this end my improvements consists; first, in inserting into the sides of the car a series of boxes or tubes, divided vertically by a partingstrip to` which or just back of which a vibrating flap 'or valve is pivoted in such manner that it is free to play back and forth to accommodate itself to the different directions in which the car may be moving, as hereinafter more fully shown; secondly, in combining with aventilator, substantially such as described, folding doors or valves pivoted to the inner sides of the car, and to the outer sides of the box and held in position by springs or other suitable stops for the purpose of regulating the velocity of the current passing through the venilator.

1n the accompanying drawings the ventilator-box A is shown as so constructed as readily to be inserted into an opening in the side of the car. It tapers gradually from its inner to its outer end. A vertical parting-strip, B, on the inner side divides the ventilator into two equal portions. Just back of this parting-strip a ap-valve or deector, C, is pivoted in such manner as to play freely horizontally on Aits axis, and projects slightly beyond the outer side of the box or car. Doors or valves D D are likewise pivoted to the outer jambs of the box, but on the inner sides of the car, and abut against the parting-strip. A spring or detent, d, in the top of these doors serves to retain them in any posit-ion at which they may be adjusted.

The operation ofthe ventilator is as follows When the car moves in the direction indicated by the blue arrow, the current thus caused will force the detlector C into theV position shown by the black lines in the drawings, in which position the deiiector and the front side of the ventilator-box are not parallel, but divergent, consequently affording an opening of constantly enlarging area. Ehe currents of air rushing along the outer sides of the car impinge against the detiector, and are deected outward, as shown by the black arrows in Fig. 2, thus tending to produce a partial vacuum or rarefaction of the air in that division of the ventilator-box in front ot' the deflector. If, now, the front door, D', of the ventilator be opened, as shown in full lines in the drawings, the foul air from the inside of the car will rush out, owing partly to the rarefaction above described and partly to the tendency of air to rush from a more confined into a more open space, as shown by the blue arrows in Fig. 2, and the car will thus be ventilated. The velocity of the current can be regulated by opening the doors more or less, and the springs d will hold them in any position to'which they may be adjusted. When the motion ot' the car is reversed, the current swings the deflector to the opposite'side of the box, the door D is opened, and the ventilator goes on as before. The red lines in Fig. 2 show the attitude assumed by the several parts on the reverse movement of the car. By closing both of the doors D D the ventilation would of course be stopped.

Having thus described the construction and operation of my improved ventilator, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination, with the ventilatorbox A and parting-strips B, of the deflector C, one end of which is pivoted immediately back ofthe parting-strip, substantially in the manner described.

2. The combination ot' the ventilator-box A,'partingstrip B, and deector C with adjustable valves or doors D D', substantially in the manner herein described for the purpose of regulating the ventilation, as set forth.

In testimony whereofl I have hereunto subscribed my name.

SILAS MERRIOK. Witnesses:

E. D. MERRIQK, CEAS. M. MERRIGK, 

